In the 20th century, Polish music burst out of its homeland and set Europe on fire. The three Polish pieces in this concert are intimate in scale, but epic in emotion, whether they’re Szymanowski’s sensuous, soaring Violin Sonata, Lutoslawski’s haunting Epitaph or the brilliantly imaginative Fourth Quartet by Grazyna Bacewicz – possibly one of the 20th century’s wittiest composers. Britten’s bracing Phantasy Quartet offers a very British perspective on a concert that’s as surprising as it is entertaining.
